TOKYO (JAPAN) – Fears have mounted in Japan, where an inoculation drive against COVID-19 will start on Wednesday. Shortage of special syringes might cause the wastage of millions of doses of Pfizer vaccine could be wasted. It usually maximises the number of shots used from each vial.
The government has made urgent requests, however, manufacturers are under struggle to boost production fast enough.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said on Tuesday, “We are still trying to secure these special syringes.”
Japan, with a population of 126 million, last month struck a contract with Pfizer Inc to get access tp 144 million doses of its vaccine, or enough for 72 million people.
One vial is meant for six shots, Pfizer says, however, it requires special syringes which can retain a low volume of solution after an injection extracting six doses. That said, only five shots can be taken with standard syringes, which the government has kept in store, as part of its preparation for the inoculation drive.
Kato did not directly say whether the inadequate number of the ideal syringe indicated that it would bring down the number of shots Japan can administer, but on Tuesday he admitted that without it there would be a wastage.
“When it comes to what’s left in vials and syringes, what’s unused will be disposed of,” Kato said.
The government is asking medical equipment manufacturers to bolster output of the low dead-space syringes to minimise the amount of vaccine left unused in syringes and vials.
Nipro Corp, which operates a Thailand plant with a capacity to make 500,000 units a month, said it had plans to strengthen its monthly capacity to a few million. It would, however, take up to five months to reach that goal.
“We are getting a request from the health ministry and we need to take some steps. But it’s not something we can do overnight. It’s another four to five months before we can ramp up sharply,” a Nipro spokeswoman said.
Another major Japanese medical gear maker Terumo Corp said it had set out on developing syringes, which are sufficient for extracting six doses from a vial. That said, it was too early to say when the commercial output can be begun.